Network based collaborative interactive activity between devices and users

摘要

A communication network (2, fig. 1), preferably wireless and perhaps a Personal Area Network (PAN), connects a plurality of computing devices 20, 22, 24, 26 under the control of one of the devices, e.g. hub device 26. An application is run on at least one of the devices, e.g. interactive whiteboard 20 (user device #1). Access to the application by at least one other device, e.g. handheld interactive device 22 (user device #2), is controlled by defining an access setting for each application running on each device. A session may be established between two or more applications with content being shared between applications in the session. Content made available by an application may be transmitted to all applications having access to that application. A device may be associated with a predetermined network and, on detection of the networks presence, may connect automatically to the network. On connection, a device may receive a list of other devices connected to the network and may receive a list of applications running on other devices for which the device is permitted access.